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Dozens of UET students barred from convocation

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LAHORE:Dozens of graduates of the University of Engineering & Technology (UET), Lahore on Saturday failed to attend the varsity’s 19th Convocation where Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani was the chief guest.

The pass-outs were waiting in queue outside UET Auditorium Complex, having security clearance passes in their hands, when, all of a sudden, the main entrance was closed at the arrival of the premier, leaving the students outside the auditorium.

Around 50-60 graduates, wearing traditional convocation gowns, were seen outside the UET Auditorium Complex, desperately trying to enter the auditorium but to no avail. They kept standing outside the auditorium until the ceremony ended, and no one from PM’s security or UET administration bothered to contact them.

Talking to the reporters, the angry engineering graduates said it was unfortunate that they were deprived of attending a precious event of their lives. They said that many of them had come from far flung areas and taken leave from their respective organizations with the sole purpose of attending the convocation.

UETians, including Ayesha, Shahana, M Waqar and Ali, said they were greatly disappointed owing to the treatment meted out to them. They said the convocation was, in fact, a very memorable day in the life of a student, adding it was unfortunate that dozens of graduates had been barred from joining the auspicious occasion just because of the Prime Minister’s protocol. ‘We are not aliens’ Shahana said, ‘All of us had security clearance passes provided by the varsity management at the rehearsal’. Waqar said, ‘We have seen politicians come very late but they are never barred from the ceremonies.’’

Ayesha said that, at least, those having proper security clearance and standing in queues should have been allowed to attend the event.

It is pertinent to mention that the mismanagement was also witnessed inside the auditorium when the convocation ended.

The Prime Minister was still in the auditorium when announcement was made for students and teachers to leave the hall. This created problem for media persons who could not properly talk to the premier.The news